EYES ON: G James Harden. The NBA's reigning Sixth Man of the Year is entering the final year of his contract and will remain in the spotlight unless he signs an extension. Oklahoma City signed Ibaka to a new deal this summer, likely meaning the small-market franchise would have to go over the salary cap to re-sign Harden.

OUTLOOK: The Thunder return the core of their team that made it all the way to the finals last season, and there's no reason they can't get back again. All that's missing from last season is the veteran leadership of bench players Fisher, Mohammed and Ivey. They were replaced by less experienced, less expensive players.

COACH: George Karl, ninth season with Nuggets, 25th season overall; 1,074-731.

EYES ON: C JaVale McGee. The Nuggets re-signed the athletic big man to a four-year, $44 million deal in the offseason. McGee went down to Houston to work with Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon on some low-post moves. Known for his ability to block shots, McGee could be a scoring presence in the paint this season.

OUTLOOK: For reasons Karl is still trying to figure out, the Nuggets are a trendy pick to win the Western Conference. Maybe it's the addition of Iguodala or perhaps it's because of their depth — the Nuggets go at least 10 deep — but many are jumping on the Nuggets' bandwagon. Denver's biggest flaw may be its long-range shooting, especially with Harrington now in Orlando. The Nuggets are counting on Gallinari to pick up some of the 3-point shooting slack and help the team not only make it back to the playoffs but maybe even make a deep run.

EYES ON: Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter. Can these youngsters unseat Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson, respectively, in the starting lineup? Kanter has slimmed down but is still a force inside and power forward Favors plays with a non-stop motor.

OUTLOOK: The Jazz may have the best group of bigs in the league, and they made an effort to bring in better perimeter shooters and a point guard who will push the tempo and run the offense. But the team needs to develop chemistry and consistency to compete in the Western Conference, where it seems every team got better.

COACH: Rick Adelman, second season with Timberwolves, 22nd season overall; 971-656.

EYES ON: Injured starters. Point guard Ricky Rubio (10.6 ppg, 8.2 apg, 2.2 spg) and All-Star Love will both miss the first month of the season or more with injuries. And Roy is returning from missing all of last season with chronic knee issues. But Minnesota's playoff hopes primarily rest on two sets of knees. Rubio is recovering from a torn ACL and isn't expected to be ready until mid-December. Roy is coming out of an early retirement after treatments similar to what Kobe Bryant has done in the offseason improved his knees. If both can be close to what they once were, the Wolves won't be the doormat they have been. Love's broken hand will keep him out for the first month but his return to full health is a virtual certainty.

OUTLOOK: Considered one of the up-and-coming teams in the powerful Western Conference, the Wolves think the addition of veterans Roy and Kirilenko have them primed for their first postseason since 2004. They were eighth in the West last year before faltering after Rubio went down in March. But they'll have to survive without their two best players for the first four weeks of the season and that could be difficult. If they can weather their absences, the Wolves figure to be right in the playoff mix.

COACH: Terry Stotts, first season with the Blazers, 5th season overall, 115-168.

EYES ON: Lillard. New general manager Neil Olshey calls Lillard Portland's "franchise point guard." He averaged 24.5 points, five rebounds and four assists as a junior last season at Weber State, then averaged 26.5 points, 5.3 assists and four rebounds in four games during the NBA's summer league.

OUTLOOK: The Blazers are young — even Aldridge is still just 27 — and will have trouble keeping up in the tough Western Conference this season. The youth movement may mean that Portland will be solid further down the road, but the team still seems to be lacking all the necessary pieces to be a playoff contender this season.

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